In the town of LoudWater the sun shines warmly on this beautiful day. Just last night you remember celebrating the finale of the GreenGrass festival among the town's people. This Celebration is always the best of the year. For a full fortnight the world seems to forget itself, rejoicing the end of winter.

Today marks the end of the first two weeks of spring and worldwide moods range between the worst Monday of the year to the worst hangover of the year. Yet, the fine weather seems to brighten everyone’s face. While doing some simple shopping for the week, people find it hard not to smile as you pass them in SouthSquare .

OOC: Please introduce your characters but not to each other. Simply give a reason for why you might be visiting or living in LoudWater and shopping in SouthSquare.

Dra’kor grew up in the city of Westgate within the Dragon Coast. He has no memory of his parents and was raised as an orphan among a band of thieves. He suspects that at least one of his parents sold him when he was an infant. After all, that’s the kind of immoral behavior one would expect to find in Westgate. This abandonment, combined with the usual array of disrespect and prejudice (which he encountered almost daily due to his appearance), have instilled within Dra’kor a large degree of distrust, endless bitterness and a longing for vengeance. This explains his affinity for the deity, Shar.

Haughty and impatient, Dra’kor made a lifestyle for himself in his youth using his own strength and appearance to intimidate others to get anything he needed. Though the lifestyles of thievery and bribery surrounded him as he grew up, he never wanted any of it. Why bother with games of bribery and extortion when brute strength and fear could be used to achieve equal results? But in truth Dra’kor never really understood how to play those games. Instead, starting from an early age, he turned his interests elsewhere.

Dra’kor was always fascinated by the cosmos, likely due to a deep-seated desire to focus as far outside of his own, personal, cruel world as much as he could. His interest in sorcery came from the countless stories he heard of the Spellplague and its recent devastating impact on their world. He wanted to explore. He wanted to see as much of the world that had been ravaged by the Spellplague as he could. But he would never survive with strength alone. And therefore he gradually settled into cosmic sorcery - a means to channel his knowledge of the cosmos through powerful magic.

He left Westgate at the age of 20 to seek training in the nearby city of Nathlekh. Law in the city was far more controlled than he was used to, and he quickly learned that his savage intimidation strategies would be useless here. He managed to secure an apprenticeship with a sorcerer who specialized in cosmic magic. Training did not come easily to Dra’kor. His impatience and arrogance interfered with much of his master’s teachings and it took years longer for Dra’kor to harness the basics of cosmic sorcery than his master intended. Against the wishes of his master, who strongly encouraged patience for deeper understanding of cosmic sorcery, Dra’kor had decided to leave Dragon Coast immediately after mastering the fundamentals of cosmic sorcery. He was determined to explore the world and find a deeper meaning than the cruel life he grew up with. He bartered travel on a caravan headed toward the land of Baldur’s Gate…

After arriving in LoudWater: “Gods damn this town! Why are the people here so damn happy? What the hell are they smiling at me for? What is this, some kind of holiday? I hate the way the air smells. I hate the way these people look at me. I need to find another caravan and get out of here QUICK. Why didn’t that bastard just keep going? Why stop…here? Maybe I should find him and convince him to take me out of this town. Ugh, I suppose I should rest first. Where the hell is the pub?”

Zetheryin is in Loudwater as a stop on his journey to pay homage to his god, Torm, in Waterdeep. He is a Githyanki, outcast from his people due to his distaste for such minor things as murder and world domination. The swordmage finds himself in South Square as he is pursuing one of his favorite pastimes, people watching. He observes shoppers and passers-by, ready to spring into action to right any wrong, battle any evil, or just help an old lady across the square.

With nearly all ties to his past cut, Ander Riverwalk is content just to wander the streets of LoudWater without having to closely watch his back. Losing himself in citywide revelry is something he could never have done back home, where everyone knew him, his father, and the work they did. But with the elder Riverwalk out of the picture, Ander's finally free for the first time in his life, and ready for whatever new adventure awaits.

Crag Stonehelm was a gold dwarf, whose family had lived in Underhome since time immemorial. However, the only members of his clan who managed to escape the tragedy when the Underchasm formed where his parents. Growing up a refugee in Eartheart, Crag felt lost. So much of dwarven society is based around the clan that he almost felt like he wasn't a dwarf at all.

This led him to abandon Moradin and the other traditional gods of his people, and wander the Riftwood and Shaar Desolation near his home. One day, while alone in the wilderness, he heard a primal voice speaking to him. The bear spirit told him his fate lay not with the dwarves of the East Rift, but abroad, in the wide world.

Saying farewell to his parents, he left Eartheart, seeking his destiny.

What sounded grand when intoned by the voice of the bear spirit instead turned out to be a series of misadventures and bad luck as he blundered from city to city among the other people's of the world. Now, still down on his luck and short on cash, he finds himself trying to stretch his last few gold in the SouthSquare district of Loudwater.

"What's that commotion?" he mutters to himself, as not far off a dragoborn knocked down an old man who actually seemed more afraid of the human woman who stopped ot help him up.

OOC: Hey guys, I waned to let everyone know I'll be out of town until tomorrow.

My roommate and I are gong to the RoseBowl to see the World Football Challenge: Chelsea vs Inter Milan @ 8 tonight. These are two of the best European soccer clubs (like Lakers vs Cavaliers), but I digress. I will have my netbook with me so I might be able to prepare. Either way I won't have the next installment ready until tomorrow.

As you ready yourself to leave the square a pair of trumpeters grab your attention. Standing in front of Garwan’s Curiosities they melodiously play and attract a small crowd. Once listening you can't help but notice the GRAND RE-OPENING sign hanging from the store. Almost entranced by the musicians hired for the occasion, you seem to gravitate toward their direction.

While temporarily lulled, catastrophe explodes behind you. Without warning a large section of the town wall flies apart with a deafening blast. Pieces of rubble turned into sharpened missles strike a few townsfolk, instantly hewing them. Others are crushed like twigs under large sections of wall. The ones lucky enough have their breath use it to shriek in the panic as they attempt to flee.

Before you regain your senses, a large group of bloodthirsty goblin raiders pour threw the broken wall into the town. Deciding to stand your ground and ready your defenses, you notice four others doing the same. Instinctively, you muster your courage and prepare for battle. Apparently, the LoudWater guards will not respond in time to deal with this crisis.

OOC:for each townsfolk, T, that survives until the end of the encounter the party will receive +40 exp.

Alysandra looks around and surveys the situation. Pointing at Crag, Zetheryin, and Ander she shouts. "To arms! We shall be the line of defense for the good people of Loudwater! We must save the townspeople at all costs! May Sune strike down those that are full of hatred and evil!"

OOC: I posted some strategy ideas in the tactics thread. I have a UCLA extension class this morning and won't be back until after 2pm. I think the townsperson at i11 might be doomed, but we should be able to rescue the rest.

Watching all hell break loose around him, Ander say to the townspeople,"You lot! Get out of here! it's not safe!" before seeing the source of the problem - Goblins. He then rushes in, draws a dagger and short sword, and acts almost out of instinct.

OOC: On your character sheet, a melee Deft Strike is at a +7 to hit, rather than +5, and an additional +2 for First Strike's combat advantage. I don't think it will matter in this case, though, but that hits AC 21.

Without sound or hesitation in his step Ander approaches his foe, dagger ready. A glint of metal slashes the air, a seemingly effortless motion that releases a gush of blood from the goblin's neck. Almost immediately after turning the corner, the goblin finds his himself slumped and drowning in a pool of his own blood.

Taking no notice of his allies death, the red goblin hurls a javelin deep into the back of nearest Townsperson (M7). He dies a quick but terrible death.

Seeing innocent townsfolk in danger, Crag's protective nature spurs him into action. That, and he - like any good dwarf - didn't exactly care for goblins.

"Flee from this town, goblins, before the protecting winds of the north carry you away!" As good as his word, Crag approaches the goblins, and an icy wind scours them. Crag then calls out for his spirit bear to join him in protecting the townsfolk.

Rushing to the townfolk's aid, Crag positions himself between them and the monsters (N. Summoning his most powerful energy he calls down the fury of the frigid North Winds, freezing many enemies nearby. After the winds die down, Crag summons his faithful companion across from himself (J7).

Finding himself not completely frozen, the pink goblin moves to a seemingly strategic position (J14) and retaliates at the shaman. From having great position the Goblin easily hits Crag with a sharpened javelin. It pierces his armor and wounds him in the mid section, doing 10 damage.

Zetheryin rushes to the aid of the townspeople on the other side of the fountain. "Stand behind me," he shouts to them. Then his longsword gets blurry as it whips around him, striking down one of the two goblins near him. Finally, his sword glows blue, and a beacon of light engulfs the remaining goblin, completely turning his attention to the swordmage.

OOC: Ari, can you please clarify regarding goblins 7 and 8. The initiative order shows that 8 is dead and 7 alive, but the map shows 8 still present. Is 8 alive or dead? It will make a difference regarding the paladin's movement options.

By the way, Alysandra's HP max are actually 31 since I changed her attributes prior around after Divine Power came out.

Swinging his sword in a frenzy Zetheryin catches one of the two goblins (4) across the chest, slaying it. Vanquishing one foe but missing the other goblin (2) he turns to the other and surrounds it with a fascinating blue light

Sensing the presence of another caster, the hexer focuses an attack at Drak'or. Drak'or takes 11 damage and is blinded (save ends), having been shot by strange sparks and a blinding light.

OOC: Saving throws: When you’re under a persistent effect or condition
that can be ended by a save (“save ends”), you have
a chance to escape the effect each round at the end
of your turn. You do that by making a saving throw,
which is a d20 roll unmodified by your level or ability
modifiers. A successful saving throw is called a save.
✦ End of Turn:

At the end of your turn, you make a
saving throw against each effect on you that a save
can end. Roll a d20, with one of the following results:

Alysandra moves past the halfling stranger now fighting alongside her, and goes south along the building’s side. She surveys the situation and senses a good soul having been afflicted by evil magic. With a quick prayer to Sune, she infuses Drak'or with the confidence to attempt shaking off his blindness (move to o12, minor action: divine mettle). She takes in the dwarf facing two opponents, the warrior goblin by the well, and the other warrior goblin standing near the dangerous looking hexer by the rubble. Finally, her gaze falls upon the lone young girl cornered between two wagons and about to be skewered by two goblins at the opposite side of the square.

The paladin glances back to the goblin hexer and then again at the helpless girl. With a mighty shout, she charges. ”How dare you attack the helpless! “ (charge to J12, incur an opportunity attack from goblin 3, then attack goblin 1 with melee basic=virtuous strike)

After smiting the first goblin, Alysandra uses some extra adrenaline and tries slashing at the goblin that just tried killing her with a mighty blow(action point to use valorous smite).

She then turns to the frightened girl and says, "Quick! Hide under the wagon!" pointing at the wagon further away from the goblin.

On a different note. FYI, if the hexer attacks and hits Alysandra with anything that is vs. WILL, it will trigger her "bastion of clarity" immediate interrupt. That means she, and all allies within 5 squares of her will get +4 WILL until the end of her next turn. For example, if hexer hits her with a WILL attack, she gets the +4 before damage, and maybe then the attack will have missed against her effective 20 WILL. I will only invoke bastion of clarity on a miss against her, if Alsyandra and at least one ally are hit by the same burst/blast/area attack (i.e. while it may have missed her, it may have hit the ally and she would want to defend them).

OOC: Thanks, I actually thought of that too when I planned my turn and was considering moving next to Drak'or. So instead I used the paladin channel divinity encounter power "Divine Mettle" which has range 10. The downside was that it granted an immediate saving throw with a +5 bonus, as opposed to automatically removing the blindness as "virtue's touch" would have down. The upside is that you can see that I rolled a 19.

Your turn is now approved . I'll be able to post later tonight. I just finished a paper, and now omw to class.

Btw, where can I find info about divine mettle; is it a new ability in DP?

OOC: No worries. I'm still learning how the paladin (and most of the classes for that matter) work. Divine Mettle (and Divine Strength) are the two channel divinity powers that all paladins have. You can find it in the player's handbook or character builder under the paladin class.

Alysandra
After successfully praying to Sune to remove Drakor's blindness, Alysandra charges the goblins sourrounding the helpless girl. With righteous indignation, the paladin rushes to attack the far goblin(1) caring nothing about her own vaulnerability. Incurring a free attack from the nearer goblin (3), the paladin luckily takes no damage under the safety of her armor. Safely charging in Alysandra lands a virtuous strike, crushing the goblin's head (1).

Not giving up on the poor child yet, the paladin exerts all her energy to muster another attack. She summons a great power to smite the goblin before her, but cannot seem to complete the ritual, leaving her target unharmed.

As an intimidate reaction to Alys' miss, the hexer invigorates the nearby goblin (3) to shift to I12 and retaliate, dealing 4 damage to Alysandra.

Townsfolk
Seizing a small pause in the commotion, the townspeople attempt to scatter; despite the screaming and confusion, no one seems to get hurt, except for the one little girl.

As if drawn out like a blade, time seems to hesitate. If only for a moment but seemingly for an eternity, a horrifying sight burns itself into Alysandra's mind. Being the only one able to see, Alysandra must stand and watch alone. Dismayed by the sound of a desperate yelp and the image of a short sword piercing the child's back like soft paper, Alysandra cries out in empathy for poor girl. In her mind Alysandra begs Sune, "if only the girl hadn't run, she could have lived!"

GoblinsNow that the townsfolk are out of site, the goblins attempt to attack any nearby threat with their short swords. Goblin 2 attacks Zetheryin but misses; goblin 3 attacks Alysandra and does 4 more damage; goblin 8 moves to O9 and attacks Crag along side goblin 7 doing 4 damage each.